The second part of our most recent trip
Read moreGlasgow
by Richard & Melissa TerrisIt feels strange to write a post about your home city, but this is where Melissa and I got married, so we want to write about it in keeping with our travel blog.
Melissa flew into Glasgow Airport, which is actually just outside the city, in a town called Paisley, about 7 miles southwest of the city. I picked her up and we came back to my place in the city centre; I live in a neighborhood called Garnethill, on the border of Cowcaddens. My father, his parents, and his grandparents all grew up in a neighborhood called Port Dundas, which also borders Cowcaddens. If you're visiting Glasgow, I recommend a visit to Speirs Wharf; this is the end of the Forth & Clyde Canal, and the buildings were originally the offices of the Forth & Clyde Navigation Co. The canal is nice, and the views from high up there overlook the city centre, and in other directions you can see for miles around.
The next day, Melissa and I had a full busy day ahead. First we had to walk down to the city chambers to submit some paperwork. The walk from my apartment is around 15 minutes through the city, and the city chambers are definitely a worthwhile stop for any visitors to the city. The building is magnificent, and overlooks George Square which has a very rich history of its own; for example in 1919, George Square become the location of the 'Battle of George Square', which was a violent battle between the then 'Glasgow City Police' (now all of the Scottish Police forces have combined into 'Police Scotland') and striking workers. This is just one of many stories in the history of George Square. So, we delivered our paperwork, and then walked back to my apartment to collect the minibus we had hired, and drove to the south side of the city to Pollok Country Park to meet our photographer for a pre-wedding day photo shoot. Pollok Country Park is a 361 acre country park, containing a river, Pollok House, and Highland cattle. We came for Pollok House.
We met Graham, our photographer (Instagram - gramilne - we highly recommend him for wedding photography!) outside Pollok House, all dressed up and ready for our photoshoot. Pollok House is an ancient estate, built in 1752, and gifted to the park by the Stirling Maxwell family. We actually have a few remaining castles in Glasgow which we considered using for our photoshoot, but we settled on the beautiful Pollok House instead. We've included some pictures, but suggest you take a look on Google for more info.
After we finished getting our pictures taken walking around the beautiful Pollok House estate, we had to drive the 44 miles to Edinburgh to collect Melissa's family at the airport. We made good time, and managed to squeeze everyone into the minibus - hiring this was a great idea by Melissa, and by now we were very thankful for it!
We drove back to Glasgow so that her family could check into their digs - the Grand Central Hotel. Another worthwhile stop for any visitor, this hotel was constructed in 1883 and is connected to Central Station, which is the main train station in the city. It's a stunning building with a long and rich history. After they had checked in, Melissa and I took her family via George Square to the wedding venue, so that they could see it in person, and then we went for Chinese food.
After a good meal at the China Sea Restaurant, (one of the very first Chinese Restaurants in Glasgow; it is old and the food is excellent. China Sea Website) we went for a walk through the city so that her family could see Glasgow in the sunshine. Finally, we took the subway to my apartment so that both our parents could meet.
After a few drinks and some chat it was time for everyone to go to bed! I drove Melissa's family to their hotel, and then Melissa and I took a final drive together as fiances.
Next morning was the big day, and again we had a LOT to do!
I drove to the south side to pick my dad and brother up, and took them to my apartment so we could get dressed together and have some food while my mum and auntie got ready at my parents house, and Melissa and her crew got ready in the hotel.
My dad, my brother, and I arrived at the venue which was the Corinthian on Ingram Street. As with so many buildings in Glasgow, this has a long and rich history. It began life in 1752 as a private residence, and was eventually torn down to make way for the current building which was completed in 1842! The new building started out as a bank, then a court, and now the Corinthian Club. It’s worth a visit for the amazing food and architecture. You can read more about it on their website: Corinthian Club Website
As the groom, it was my job to welcome the guests as they arrived, and then it was time to wait for Melissa. When she made her entrance and started walking down the aisle towards me, I could see my future before me and I’ve never felt happier.
The wedding service was beautiful, and included many Scottish traditions such as a hand-fasting ceremony. I wore a kilt, and the menu (of course) contained Haggis! We had an amazing day with a small group of 25 family members and friends.
The Corinthian really was the perfect venue for us, it was small and intimate, and provided a beautiful backdrop for our wedding photographs. We spent the rest of the day socializing, and taking wee time-outs to ourselves. And in the end we spent a night in the Grand Central Hotel as husband and wife.
The next day we had to get up at 4am to drive Melissa’s family back to Edinburgh Airport, and then we came back to my apartment and had a nice relaxing day together.
The following day we flew to Budapest for our honeymoon, and you can read about that in another blog post of ours, here.
We hope this has been an informative post about Glasgow, as well as sharing some aspects of our wedding day. If anyone reading this is considering visiting Glasgow, feel free to email us at [email protected] and we'll be happy to offer advice on where to stay and what to see and do.
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